Buckle.



PATENTED JUNE 9, 1908.

G. W. SMITHSON. BUCKLE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG'. 5, 1907.

UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEroE.

GEORGE WRAY SMITHSON, OF MADELIA, MINNESOTA.

BUCKLE Application filed. August 5, 1907. Serial No. 387,124.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, GEORGE VRAY SMITH- sON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Madelia, in the county of Watonwan and State of Minnesota, have invented a new and useful Buckle, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to harness buckles.

The obj ect of the invention is to provide a novel form of buckle or fastener that will securely connect the outside or main line to the inside or cross line of a double harness, and one in which there will be no points or projections on which a Hy net will catch, or which would be liable to inflict injury to the horse, and one in which the draft does not all fall u on the tongue, but is largely taken by c amping the line between parts of the buckle. Furthermore, to provide a buckle having the above characteristics and the added ones of being strong, durable and simple of construction, ready of attachment to the parts with which it coacts, capable of easy adjustment when required, and cheap of production.

With the above and other objects in view,

` as will appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel construction and combination of parts of a harness buckle as will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification and in which like characters of reference indicate correspondmg disp aying the bucklepositioned on a harness. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view through Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a view in side elevation, partly in section of a portion of a modied form of buckle. Fig. 5 is a perspective detail view of a modified form of locking tongue. Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 6-6, Fig. 4.

The buckle comprises a frame consisting of two side bars 1 that constitute guides, and two cross bars 2 and 3 that constitute clamps, these parts being integral and cast, or if preferred the article may be drop-forged. The clamps 2 and 3 are connected by allongitudinally and centrally disposed guard 4 that is hollow or channeled on its under side, and may extend throughout the entire length of the buckle or be made somewhat shorter, if such construction should be found advantageous. The guides l are obliquely disposed a part of Specification of Letters Patent.

arts,-Figure l is a view in perspective.

Patented .Tune 9, 1908.

to the clamps and their edges are engaged by a pair of ears 5 located adjacent to one end of a ocking plate 6, the other end of which carries a tongue 7 that is designed to engage either one of a pair of orifices 8in the clamp 3. The locking plate is preferably resilient, and is somewhat shorter than the length of the frame, in order that when the two straps are locked, as shown in Fig. 2, there will be no projecting portions at the ends of the frame upon which a fly net or the like would be liable to catch.

The ears 5, as stated, bear upon the upper edges of the guides and the coaction between the two causes the plate to approach the plane of the clamps 2 and 3 when draft is applied to the main line L. In order to prevent the ears from presenting protuberances or obstructions that would be liable to catch in a fly net or the like, the buckle shown in Figs. l, 2 and 3 is provided at its sides with keepers or shields 9 in which the terminals of the ears work, as clearly shown in Fig. 3. These keepers are by preference integral with the side bars and are prefereably, although not of necessity, commensurate in width therewith.

The side bars are connected by a cross rod l0 that is designed to be engaged by the cross line L2, the latter being looped around the rod and secured as by a rivet 1l.

In employing the buckle thus described, the tongue 7 is inserted through any one of the series of openings in the main line, and upon draft being applied to this line in the direction of the arrow shown in Fig. 2, the ears 5 will be caused to ride upon the inclined edges of the guides l and thereby lift the locking plate and with it the line so that the latter is firmly clasped between the clamps and the locking plate. This movement of the locking plate will cause the tongue to spring into one or the other of the orifices 8 in the clamp 3 and thereby positively secure the line and buckle together. To disconnect the tongue from the clamp, it will be only necessary to draw down upon that end of the main line at which the tongue is located.

In some instances it may be desired to dispense with the guard 4 and the keepers 9 and this form of the invention is shown in Figs. 4, `5 and 6, wherein the clamp l2 is made somewhat thicker than the clamp 13, and is provided with one or more orifices 14 to recelve the tongue 7. The side bars l are providing shoulders channeled in their upper inner sides thereby on the lower inner sides which serve as guides for the ears 16 of the locking plate 17, these latter ears being disposed in the same plane as the bodyof the locking plate.

It will be seen from the foregoing description that the improvements herein dei-ined are simple in character and may be applied to an existing harness without requiring any change whatever in its structural arrangement.

What is claimed is l. A buckle comprising a frame embodying lateral guides and transverse clamps, one of which is provided with an orifice, and a locking plate having a tongue to engage the oriiice and ears to engage the guides.

2. A buckle comprising a pair of clamping members and a pair of guides disposed obliquely thereto, one of the clamping members being provided with a plurality of orifices, and a locking plate having ears to engage with the guides and a tongue to engage the said oriiices.

3. A buckle comprising a pair of guides, a pair of clamps connecting the guides, one of the clamps being provided with a plurality of oriiices, a guard covering the orifices, and a locking plate having ears to engage with the guides and a tongue to engage the said orices.

4. A buckle comprising a pair of guides provided with lateral keepers, a pair of clamps connecting the guides one of which is provided with a plurality of orifices, and a locking plate having lateral ears to Work Within the keepers and a tongue to engage the orifices.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, l have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE WRAY SMITHSON.

Vitnesses H. C. GUNDERsoN, LOUISE S. RAINERsoN. 

